Ian Sheppard has acted as Editor International Show Editions for AIN since June 2013. Based in the Redhill, England, Ian reports for the various AIN publications as well as providing support to International Editor Charles Alcock in covering international air shows (such as Farnborough, Paris, Singapore and Dubai), and the EBACE and MEBA business aviation events. His central role is to cover Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA).
Prior to becoming more involved with AIN in mid-2011 (initially as deputy international editor), Ian worked for various aviation publications through his company, First Aerospace Media. This included being part of the AIN team covering daily news at international air shows.
Ian has worked for publications such as Flight International (technical reporter, 1997-8) and Aerospace International (editor, 1999-2000). He was publications manager at Airclaims (Ascend) between 2000 and 2004 before forming First Aerospace Media. Since mid-2009 Ian has also been managing editor of Regional International, the journal of the European Regions Airline Association (ERA).
Ian hasis working towards a European commercial pilot licence, having held an FAA private pilot license in 1991, and instructor rating. He also has a degree in aeronautical engineering from the University of Bath, England, and a graduate diploma in law from Kingston University, and is a graduate of the legal practice course (College of Law, Guildford).

Editor

Ian Sheppard

Web Manuals has enhanced its web-based service by adding an App for Windows-based electronic flight bags (EFBs) and updating its Apple iPad App. The Swedish company also has started to offer U.S. FAA-compliant compliance library in Web Manuals version 5.1 (code-named “Super Firefly”), complimenting its existing EASA library. 
According to WebManuals co-founder and CEO Martin Lidgard, the Apps have “unique” functionality that automatically highlights changes in regulations. The company has already signed up the first five operators for the new U.S. system.
Lidgard told AIN that the company had “gained momentum rapidly” since it was founded in 2012, through a management buy-out. “We started with five clients and five people, today we have 50 clients and 10 people.” Its service is focused on small and medium-sized operators in business aviation, and also regional airlines, said Lidgard, who added that some operators were “really struggling” with their old systems.
Setting up a new client with Web Manuals (Booth A059) only takes two to three months “from sign-up to go-live” with two to three weeks of internal work for the client and “a few days” assistance from Web Manuals itself. “They usually see a return-on-investment in the first six months,” Lidgard said. 
The new FAA compliance library (already in use with operators such as Gama Aviation) incorporates Federal Aviation Regulations (FARs) for Part 91, 121 and 135 operators and, claims the company, makes updating aviation manuals “a less time consuming and more reliable process by automatically highlighting where documents require revising.” 
The functionality was developed in partnership with regulatory specialists AeroEx and also now includes allowing users to add notes and comments that Lidgard said were later retained, even when subsequent changes had been made. This feature could be useful, he said for safety-related instructions, for example on the carrying of dangerous goods.
“What used to be a laborious manual task is now made simple: the rapid authoring, review, publishing, distribution and control of an entire manuals library is now a seamless operation, bringing significant savings in time and administration costs while improving regulatory compliance and flight safety.”
The App, now for iPad and Windows tablet devices as well, “complements Web Manuals’ main cloud-based application,” said the company, which claims that the latter “revolutionized the way operators maintain compliance with changing aviation regulations.” Lidgard said that “about half our operators are already using the EFB Apps.”
“Web Manuals helps business aviation operators achieve major efficiencies in document management, regulatory compliance automation and operational agility. Our document reader app extends these benefits into the cockpit and, therefore, right across the organization,” Lidgard continued, adding that the focus for now was Europe and the U.S.
The company’s three-year plan is to have 500 clients by 2017, half in the U.S. and half in Europe. Lidgard believes most of its competitors are focused on more sophisticated XML-based systems for larger operators, and even so the market is “up to 10,000 potential clients.”

Web Manuals Introduces FAR Compliance Library, Windows App

The Swedish company is growing rapidly as operators see the benefits of its tools.

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